Hope Is The Last Thing To Fade Away
by CaptainDivergentKirk
Summary: Tobias Eaton is a single father. His six year old daughter Kelly means the world to him. His life is turned upside down when he learns that his daughter is seriously ill and has to go into hospital. The only thing that keeps him stable is a young nurse named Tris.
1. Chapter 1

**Hope is the last thing to fade away**

**Wahoo new story!**

Tobias Eaton is a single father. His six year old daughter Kelly means the world to him. His life is turned upside down when he learns that his daughter is seriously ill. The only thing that keeps him stable is a young nurse named Tris.

**Chapter 1 Sick?**

I'm at work on my computer but every couple of seconds my eyes glance at the picture of my daughter Kelly on my desk and I can't help but smile. She has red hair like her mother but blue eyes like mine.

Her mother died six months after she was born in a car crash. So its just me and Kelly and she is my everything literally my little heroine. In the picture she is learning how to ride a bike for the first time and looks so cute as she tries to balance. There are five other photos of her on my desk. One when she was a baby with her mother, one with me as a baby, one at her first birthday party, One when she was four on holiday with me at Disney world and one at her sixth birthday party.

I'm jolted out of my daydream when I hear the phone ring. I answer it.

"Hello is this Mr Eaton this is the school nurse, I'm afraid Kelly isn't feeling well Would it be possible for you to come and collect her?."

"I'll be there in twenty minutes" I say as I grab my coat. I then go to tell my supervisor that I am finishing work early as my daughter isn't well. I then drive to the school and get there in fifteen minutes. I walk into the reception and spot Kelly in a chair looking pale and a bit sleepy

"Hi sweetie. What's the matter?

"I don't feel well Daddy and I've just been sick. Can I go home" she says. I speak to the nurse and soon Kelly and I are on our way home.

When we arrive at home. Kelly says that she wants to lie on the sofa and watch a movie with me. I know the exact movie she'll want to watch Mulan. It is her favourite movie. I put the DVD on and we cuddle on the sofa together. After the movie is over. I make her favourite meal and we sit down together to watch her second favourite movie. I then get her ready for bedtime and read her favourite story.

"I love you Daddy" she says as I turn out the light.

"I love you to Kelly" I say as I close the door


	2. Doctors

**Chapter 2**

**Doctors**

When I woke up the next morning I realised that I had slept late it was ten o clock, which didn't matter as it was Friday and my day off work but Kelly had to go to school. Normally Kelly wakes me up as she is always excited about going to. I went into Kelly's bedroom and she was still fast asleep.

"Hey Kelly- Welly, its time to get up" I said

"I don't want to get up" Kelly said

"If you get up I'll make you pancakes, before I drive you into school. But we have to hurry. We're very late. What's the matter Kelly? Still not feeling well?" I say

She jut moaned and rolled over onto her stomach. I carefully rubbed her back

"Don't touch me Daddy, My back hurts!" I slowly lifted up her pyjama top and jumped back in horror. Something in the colour of Kelly's back definitely wasn't right. It looked like a big bruise. Lots of bruises mushed together. I gazed at it in shock.

Suddenly I heard a knock from downstairs. But I ignored it very gently I carefully got Kelly dressed while she still laid down on the bed.

"Kelly, you've got to get up" I said panicked.

"It hurts to stand up, Daddy," She cried

"I know it hurts but you have to! You've got a nasty bruise on your back. I'm going to take you to the doctors" I said as calmly as I could, trying not to sound panicked.

"Can you just carry me Daddy? She says.

I carry her carefully down the stairs. Someone is still ringing the doorbell. I open to door and am surprised to find Zeke standing on my doorstep.

"Hey, I thought we could hang out today as it's your day off. What's my little niece doing home? Is she sick?"

"Yes and I'm taking her to the doctors" I say.

"Ok, call me when you get any news,"

On the drive over I ask Kelly if she fell down anytime during school in the last few days. She says no.

I lay Kelly down in the backseat and drive to the hospital. I enter the emergency room and go to receptionist.

"Hi my names Tobias Eaton and this is my daughter Kelly. Shes got some strange bruises on her back that I would like to be checked."

"Ok, please wait in the waiting room, a doctor will see you shortly." She says.

We wait ten minutes before a doctor says that he is ready to see Kelly. I explain the situation while the doctor examines Kelly.

"So what do you think it is?" I ask

"I'm not sure, I'm going to take a blood sample and a couple of X-rays. We'll take it from there." I hold Kelly's hand while they take a blood sample. After the Xrays are done the doctor says "The tests should be in by Monday and I'll schedule an appointment for you then"

"With you?" I ask

"No, here's who I'm referring you to." He hands me a card and as I read it my heart skips a beat and I suddenly feel faint as I read the words paediatric and oncologist next to each other. Oncology was cancer. Could Kelly have cancer?


	3. Diagnosis

**Chapter 3 Diagnosis**

I have hardly eaten or slept all weekend. Every night I go into Kelly's room and watch her sleep. I'm so worried about her. I can't lose her like I lost my wife. She's the most important person in the world to me.

On Monday morning I get a call from the department saying that they want to talk to me and I schedule them a meeting on Tuesday afternoon. Which is when Kelly goes round to my friends house.

It feels like forever as I wait for a middle aged brunette to come into the waiting room and say "Tobias Eaton." I follow her into the room.

"I'm Doctor Thomas and I have looked at your daughters test results. Her white blood count is very low and we found abnormal fluid in his bone marrow. I'm sorry to say that Kelly has Acute Lymphoblastic leukaemia."

I stare at her stunned before I clear my throat my voice sounding very scratchy "What treatments do you recommend? How serious is her condition?"

"We're going to need to perform some more tests to find out how serious her condition is and the treatment available. This means that she will have to come and stay at the hospital for a little while. The good news is that Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia has an 85% survival rate in children."

I leave hospital and get into my car and immediately break down sobbing. It takes me twenty minutes before I'm calm enough to drive to Zeke and Shauna's house who have been looking after Kelly for me. I knock on the door and Zeke answers it.

"Hey man how was it?"  
>" Its cancer" I say<p>

Zeke and I have only hugged three times in the ten years I have known him. Once at my wedding as he was my best man, Once at his wedding and Once at Michelle's funeral. He hugs me again as soon as I tell him the news.

I go into the playroom and see Kelly playing with Zekes children Ben and Katie. She seems happy totally oblivious to the fact that she is seriously ill. I watch her play in the doorway for five minutes dreading what I have to tell her. I then go over to her and say

"Hey, Kelly-welly! It's time to go home. I need to talk to you"

"Have I done something wrong, Daddy" She says looking worried.

"No, of course not, sweetie"

When we arrive back home I take her up to her bedroom and sit down on the bed.

"Kelly, you remember last Friday when you were ill and we went to the hospital" I say.

"Yes they stuck needles in my arm and it hurt."

I look into her eyes with a deep sadness as I know there's a lot more pain to come.

"Well you're sick" I say

"What do you mean Daddy?

"You have cancer"

"What's that?"

"There's something not quite right with your blood. The doctors are going to have to perform some more tests. Which will hurt I'm afraid and then they are going to have to give you medicine which will make you better

"Will there be needles? I hated those needles"

"I'm afraid there will be sweetheart but we will get through this. I'll stay with you all the time when you are in hospital. The medicine they give you will make you sick.

"But Daddy if I'm sick why are they giving me more medicine to make me more sick?"

I look at her not quite sure what to say "Its complicated," I say

"When do I have to go hospital?"

"Tomorrow"

"What about school"

"You won't be going to school for a while"

**Page break**

The next morning Kelly and I are packed ready for our stay at the hospital. She packs several movies including Mulan and her favourite books and a handful of toys, puzzle games. We set off to hospital. I am worried and didn't sleep at all last night, just spent all last night looking at cancer treatments. We arrive at the hospital and are shown to a private room with two beds. One for me and one for her. Before the nurse leaves

She says "Press the call button if you need anything. Nurse Prior will be in shortly to perform some of the tests." About five minutes later I hear a knock at the door.

"Come in" I say.

**That's chapter three finished. **


End file.
